


Extra Effort

by dat_heichou



Series: Fic Drabbles [8]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Light Angst, M/M, Short & Sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-26
Updated: 2015-07-26
Packaged: 2018-04-11 08:15:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,194
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4428023
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dat_heichou/pseuds/dat_heichou
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It seems like Yamaguchi has been working too hard and overexerting himself.  Tsukishima will not stand for it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Extra Effort

**Author's Note:**

> superwhaaaaat requested a fic drabble written for prompt 2: “Have you lost your damn mind!?” from
> 
> http://dat-heichou.tumblr.com/post/121384992891/send-me-a-pairing-and-a-number-and-ill-write-you
> 
> (linked through my tumblr if you're interested. I couldn't find the prompt through the original poster's blog).

It was no secret that Yamaguchi had been training hard on his own for the past few months.  Everyone knew that besides regular practice, he was also training with Shimada-san regularly, trying to improve the tricky jump float serve.

It only bothered Tsukishima a little bit.  He was glad that his friend was actually getting something out of this extra effort (and also glad that no one saw the slight smile he couldn’t hide when he saw Yamaguchi’s first successful serve).  But he thought his best friend was  _smart_  and knew better than to get himself into the situation he now found himself.

“Have you lost your damn  _mind?!_ ” Tsukishima nearly growled in frustration, after he threw open the door and walked into Yamaguchi’s bedroom, his strides purposeful and confident as if he owned the place.

As his best friend looked up with him with big brown eyes, Tsukishima did briefly consider the idea that he was being unfair.  That thought only lasted a second as he shook it out of his head.   _No, this was totally called for._

“Tsukkiiii, why are you yellinggg??”  Yamaguchi’s voice was a higher pitched whine than usual and the tiniest inkling of guilt settled briefly in Kei’s stomach.

“Shut up, Yamaguchi.”  He lowered his voice slightly, crossing his arms in front of his chest as though he didn’t just compromise in his scolding.  “You were still stupid.”

“Sorry, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi’s lips curled upwards in that trademark smile he always got when he said those words.  

“I can’t believe Shimada let you overwork yourself like that.  What was that man thinking?”

“But I’m fine now Tsukki!  Never better!” Yamaguchi attempted to sit up away from his pillows and flex his arms in a demonstration of his physical health.  The pale color to his face undermined this action and Tsukki frowned down at him.

“Considering Shimada called me to ask where you live because you passed out during practice and he wanted to drive you home, I think you’re far from fine.” His blonde eyebrows lowered and intensified the frown on his face.

Yamaguchi sighed, flopping back onto his pillows in defeat.  “Okay, so maybe I’m not _fine_ , but it’s not that bad.  You didn’t have to come yell at me.”

“Ermmm.”  Tsukishima ran his left hand awkwardly through his hair before bringing both hands together in front of him to thread his fingers together.  “Well I didn’t mean to  _yell_ at you.  Just… I came to tell you that you were being stupid.”

“ _Thanks_ , Tsukki.”  

“ _You were!”_ His cheeks flushed as the conversation pulled him further and further away from his normal calm demeanor.  Although if he were being honest (something he rarely was), he hadn’t had a calm thought since the phone call from Shimada-san.

Tsukishima cleared his throat, trying to reclaim his calm façade.

“How are you really feeling, then? And don’t lie.” The blonde narrowed his eyes seriously when Yamaguchi first opened his mouth to respond. “A little wobbly I guess–but I’m seriously feeling a bit better!” Yamaguchi waved his hands in front of him, as though hoping the gesture would appease his irritated friend.  He leaned forward (it seemed to take a little less effort this time) and a little color rose to his cheeks. “Actually I feel more stupid than anything else.“  He sighed as his lower lip trembled and his eyebrows folded inward, signs that the freckled boy was trying to hold back the waterworks.

Tsukishima felt a lurch in his chest and his heart started pounding in panic.  He couldn’t handle tears at all.  Yamaguchi didn’t cry very often during the many years they had spent together (not that Tsukishima knew anyway, that wasn’t really something they discussed), but the few times he did, Tsukishima was willing to do anything to get him to stop.

"You’re not stupid. You just did a stupid thing. Um. Don’t cry?” He folded his hands together tightly and braved a look at his friend’s face.  Or he would have, if his friend was not currently hiding his face behind two freckled arms.

“I’m sorry, Tsukkiii."  His nickname came out as a whine as Yamaguchi’s voice wavered, obviously trying his best to keep his tears at bay.  There was a sharp intake of breath before he continued. "I hit a wall. Like I haven’t been able to get any better, no matter how hard I try. No wonder you think I’m stupid. I cant–"  A sob broke through his defenses and Yamaguchi curled further into himself, tired, and frustrated, and just plain embarrassed.

A noise escaped Tsukishima’s mouth that was caught halfway between a sigh and a low noise of disagreement.  He finally untangled his fingers in order to bring his right hand to the top of Yamaguchi’s head, where he patted it awkwardly.  Yamaguchi was the one who was better at the whole comforting thing after all.  Tsukishima was the kind of person who was better suited to silent company.  But he obviously had to say something this time.

"You’re not stupid."  Tsukishima took a deep breath before he continued, "The practice you’re doing isn’t stupid either.”

Brown eyes perked out at him from behind freckled arms and messy hair.  “Its not?"  Of all the things for Tsukki to say, he hadn’t expected that.

"You’ve gotten better haven’t you?"  A small chuckle only seemed slightly out of place as the mood slowly began to lift. "You sure showed us all how hard you’ve been working and everyone’s so proud of you.  You saw that, right?”

Yamaguchi pulled his hands away from his face.  The skin around his eyes was red, but at least his tears were gone.  A shy smile returned to his face as he quietly asked, “Do you mean that  _you’re_ proud of me too, Tsukki?”

Instead of answering, Tsukishima ruffled his friend’s hair and looked away, annoyed at how red his face was getting.

“I said everyone, didn’t I?” he grumbled, turning his face up toward the ceiling.

He almost toppled over onto his friend’s bed as arms suddenly grabbed him around the waist for a hug.

“Thank you, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi whispered into his back, arms still tightly wrapped around his friend.

“Sh-shut up, Yamaguchi."  It felt like all the blood was evacuating his brain to color his face and  _like hell_  would he ever tell his friend that.  "Just don’t you dare overwork yourself like that again.  I might have to go with you, just to keep an extra eye on you.”

The arms around him squeezed his waist tighter (looks like he was recovering his strength just fine after all).  A much lighter, happier voice answered “Sorry, Tsukki!”

What everyone knew was that Yamaguchi was working himself hard with extra practice.  What no one knew is that Tsukishima was actually putting effort into going to going to those extra practices with him.  (Purely for chaperoning purposes he had told Shimada-san, even though he was geared up and ready to block.)

As the two boys walked home together after their late practices, Tsukishima glanced over at Yamaguchi’s exhausted but happy face.   _Maybe extra effort might be worth more than I thought._


End file.
